The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-04

lie waved his hand in adieu with an air TO
politeuesS worthy of q Frenchman and pulled
rapidly toward the brig, leaving me incapable
Tor the moment, from sheer establishment,
nom making an appeal. l looked along the
beach for beat, but none was in sight; and
before had fully realized what was happening,
Nandegrift was mounting the side of the brig,
which, with all her canvas set, was already be-
ginning to heel over before a fresh breeze that
swept down the mountain side and out to sea.
stood motionless and watched her while
the wind increased rapidly, lashing itself into
the fury of gale. l saw the men go aloft and
furl the royal and top-gallant sails the courses
out of sight in whirling mist of rain
that had begun to fall rolling and
pitching under topsails. l was abandoned;
there was no mistaking that All that Vande-
grift had done before had not prepared me for
this / stood gazing out to sea long after the
brig had disappeared utterly unable to realize
to its full extent the calamity that had befal-
len me. The driving rain struck through my
iight clothing, seeming to reach to my very
bones and to chill my heart as well as my
body, and it awakened me at last to
a sense of my position. l began the
ascent of the mountain again toward
tho house which L now sincerely
hoped might contain some one who spoke q
language could understand. The storm in
creased in violence as l assembled and vivid
lightning and loud, echoing thunder came out
of cloud of midnight blackness that hung as
If poised on the bleak summit of the noun
tain. 1t seemed to me that / struggled miles
through the warning elements before | fell ex-
hausted on the low piazza of the house
sought. When L recovered consciousness it
was with such confused sense of what had
happened that l felt no surprise when L be-
held Margaret Sulinger bending over me with
her soft white fingers lightly touching my
pulse.
When the recollection of what had Just
passed dawned upon my bewildered brain,
sprang to my feet. though with such unsteadi-
ness that L had like to have fallen again, and
began an eager questioning of the girl whom
had thought of as still thousands OF miles away
from me. She would have had me wait until
my strength was more fully recruited, but /
assured her, with truth, that felt but slightly
now the effects of my struggle with the
storm. Smiling at my insstance, she told her
story
'My father had already changed his plans
again before we reached Havana" she began
"and determined to continue the voyage to
England, as he had at first intended. The
"Walrus" was to touch at Lisbon, and as this
island was in her course, she put in here for
fresh water. Tho vessel was already preparing
to leave the harbor when papa announced his
determination to remain here This is the
house of Fayal merchant, whose guests we
are''
but your father-what has he done? What
makes him act in this remarkable way?"
A smile that seemed like a shadow, so sad
was it, appeared for moment on her fair face.
She asked me to follow her, and led the way to
door which she opened noselessly, disclosing
q room beyond. Captain Sullinger sat at q
large table in the center of the room, porting
over dozen or more maps that were scattered
in profuson about the table. Margaret signed
to me to remain where l was, and crossed to
the table, where she paused beside her father,
without, at first, attracting his attention. He
raised his eyes after moment and, seeing her
there feeble pvaj Of al ND
spoke:
"My dear, did tell you that you were to
have your wish? We will return to New
York. 1t is tho safest-the safest"
His eyes returned to the map before him and
he became instantly absorbed in it again.
Margaret glided away and closing the door as
noiselessly as she had opened it, she babe me
lie down and recover from my fatigue, while
she related to me briefly the story of the
strange hallucinaton that had brought about
our remarkable journey.
Captain Sullinger's last professional voyage
had been with an exploring expedition sent out
after that elusive mystery, the north pole. The
expedition had undergone great suffering, as
had been the fate of all such expeditions, and
Captain Sullinger had become the victim, in
consequence, of strange illusion. To his dis
ordered fancy the north p0lee trembling upon
its base, threatening each moment to fall and
| to involve in ruin and disasterall who should
be i'll its way. The unfortunate captain had
ndulged for years in abstfuse calculations
meant to determine coupon what
quarter of the giolie)h this gro
tesque object should fall These calculations
had proven so conflicting TO his unbalanced
mind that they had driven him over two-thirds
| of the globe in his efforts TO escape o calamity
| that was no doubt horribly real to him. HIS
latest determination, which Margaret had per-
mitted me to hear him repeat, had been an
nounced to her before, and it gave me q great
deal of pleasure, for i must tell you that had
already observed something in the manner of
Margaret Sullinger that made me forget my
troubles, and was most reaSsuring answer to
the question had often asked myself "Is it
/, or Vandergrift, or ncither|' The pursuit
had been the wooing.
We three left the harbor Of Fayal, two days
after my abandonment. in vessel bound for
Liverpool, from whence we intended to re-
turn to New York as soon as possible.
AS for Vandergrift, never saw him again.
but | heard that he had shipped as mate in
vessel bound from Liverpool to Boston, and
that the ship had gone down with all hands
on board.